1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to color image reproduction apparatus. More particularly, the invention relates to apparatus that produces a hard copy reproduction, on any of a plurality of image-receptive materials, which visually matches a particular video image displayed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Color image reproduction systems known in the art permit an operator to edit the color and composition of an original image to form a reproduced image. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,500,919 discloses an image reproduction system of one type in which an electronic reader scans a positive color image, which may be in the form of a transparency or a print, and converts it to an electronic image. A computer workstation and an interactive operator interface, including a video monitor, permits an operator to edit the image by means of displaying it on the monitor. When the operator has composed a desired image on the monitor, the workstation causes an output writer device to make an inked output of the reproduced image.
Color imaging apparatus is most valuable if the reproduced image shown on a video display, the soft copy proof, can be visually matched by the hard copy produced by an output writer. The problem of producing a hard copy of a reproduced image which visually matches a soft copy proof is demonstrated when an image-bearing signal is sent to a video display and an output writing device. The reproduced images will not visually match each other since the phosphor spectral characteristics and other image reproduction properties of the video display differ from the image colorant characteristics and other image reproduction properties of the output writing device and image-receptive material. Furthermore, the intended viewing environments for the reproduced images may greatly differ, depending on the hard copy medium chosen.
The problem of visually matching the hard copy to the video image is amplified when a color image reproduction system is capable of forming a hard copy image on a variety of image-receptive output media of different types. This is because each type of hard copy output medium has unique color reproduction properties.